diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index 31865b3b50..3d21f953b4 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -199,10 +199,7 @@ func (q *qemu) qemuPath() (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	if p == "" {
-		p, err = q.arch.qemuPath()
-		if err != nil {
-			return "", err
-		}
+		p = q.arch.qemuPath()
 	}
 
 	if _, err = os.Stat(p); os.IsNotExist(err) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_amd64.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_amd64.go
index 92c056de60..b8e49683c4 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_amd64.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_amd64.go
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ func newQemuArch(config HypervisorConfig) (qemuArch, error) {
 	q := &qemuAmd64{
 		qemuArchBase: qemuArchBase{
 			qemuMachine:           *mp,
+			qemuExePath:           qemuPaths[machineType],
 			memoryOffset:          config.MemOffset,
-			qemuPaths:             qemuPaths,
 			kernelParamsNonDebug:  kernelParamsNonDebug,
 			kernelParamsDebug:     kernelParamsDebug,
 			kernelParams:          kernelParams,
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base.go
index 40fadc7c4c..ba2ab10385 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ type qemuArch interface {
 	machine() govmmQemu.Machine
 
 	// qemuPath returns the path to the QEMU binary
-	qemuPath() (string, error)
+	qemuPath() string
 
 	// kernelParameters returns the kernel parameters
 	// if debug is true then kernel debug parameters are included
@@ -137,13 +137,13 @@ type qemuArch interface {
 
 type qemuArchBase struct {
 	qemuMachine           govmmQemu.Machine
+	qemuExePath           string
 	memoryOffset          uint32
 	nestedRun             bool
 	vhost                 bool
 	disableNvdimm         bool
 	dax                   bool
 	networkIndex          int
-	qemuPaths             map[string]string
 	kernelParamsNonDebug  []Param
 	kernelParamsDebug     []Param
 	kernelParams          []Param
@@ -242,13 +242,8 @@ func (q *qemuArchBase) machine() govmmQemu.Machine {
 	return q.qemuMachine
 }
 
-func (q *qemuArchBase) qemuPath() (string, error) {
-	p, ok := q.qemuPaths[q.qemuMachine.Type]
-	if !ok {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("Unknown machine type: %s", q.qemuMachine.Type)
-	}
-
-	return p, nil
+func (q *qemuArchBase) qemuPath() string {
+	return q.qemuExePath
 }
 
 func (q *qemuArchBase) kernelParameters(debug bool) []Param {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base_test.go
index 417a32b2a4..36da03bb7f 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arch_base_test.go
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ var qemuArchBaseKernelParams = []Param{
 func newQemuArchBase() *qemuArchBase {
 	return &qemuArchBase{
 		qemuMachine:           qemuArchBaseMachine,
+		qemuExePath:           qemuArchBaseQemuPaths[qemuArchBaseMachine.Type],
 		nestedRun:             false,
-		qemuPaths:             qemuArchBaseQemuPaths,
 		kernelParamsNonDebug:  qemuArchBaseKernelParamsNonDebug,
 		kernelParamsDebug:     qemuArchBaseKernelParamsDebug,
 		kernelParams:          qemuArchBaseKernelParams,
@@ -89,17 +89,8 @@ func TestQemuArchBaseQemuPath(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 	qemuArchBase := newQemuArchBase()
 
-	p, err := qemuArchBase.qemuPath()
-	assert.NoError(err)
+	p := qemuArchBase.qemuPath()
 	assert.Equal(p, qemuArchBaseQemuPath)
-
-	paths := map[string]string{
-		"bad": qemuArchBaseQemuPath,
-	}
-	qemuArchBase.qemuPaths = paths
-	p, err = qemuArchBase.qemuPath()
-	assert.Error(err)
-	assert.Equal("", p)
 }
 
 func TestQemuArchBaseKernelParameters(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go
index eaec0087cb..dba48a3ecd 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ const qmpMigrationWaitTimeout = 10 * time.Second
 
 var defaultQemuMachineOptions = "usb=off,accel=kvm,gic-version=" + getGuestGICVersion()
 
-var qemuPaths = map[string]string{
-	QemuVirt: defaultQemuPath,
-}
-
 var kernelParams = []Param{
 	{"console", "hvc0"},
 	{"console", "hvc1"},
@@ -136,8 +132,8 @@ func newQemuArch(config HypervisorConfig) (qemuArch, error) {
 	q := &qemuArm64{
 		qemuArchBase{
 		        qemuMachine:           supportedQemuMachine,
+			qemuExePath:           defaultQemuPath,
 			memoryOffset:          config.MemOffset,
-			qemuPaths:             qemuPaths,
 			kernelParamsNonDebug:  kernelParamsNonDebug,
 			kernelParamsDebug:     kernelParamsDebug,
 			kernelParams:          kernelParams,
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le.go
index b6b22f0712..e19340da28 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_ppc64le.go
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ const defaultQemuMachineOptions = "accel=kvm,usb=off"
 
 const qmpMigrationWaitTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 
-var qemuPaths = map[string]string{
-	QemuPseries: defaultQemuPath,
-}
-
 var kernelParams = []Param{
 	{"rcupdate.rcu_expedited", "1"},
 	{"reboot", "k"},
@@ -68,8 +64,8 @@ func newQemuArch(config HypervisorConfig) (qemuArch, error) {
 	q := &qemuPPC64le{
 		qemuArchBase{
 			qemuMachine:           supportedQemuMachine,
+			qemuExePath:           defaultQemuPath,
 			memoryOffset:          config.MemOffset,
-			qemuPaths:             qemuPaths,
 			kernelParamsNonDebug:  kernelParamsNonDebug,
 			kernelParamsDebug:     kernelParamsDebug,
 			kernelParams:          kernelParams,
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_s390x.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_s390x.go
index 4ad12a5e69..beaad5eae4 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_s390x.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_s390x.go
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@ const virtioSerialCCW = "virtio-serial-ccw"
 
 const qmpMigrationWaitTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 
-var qemuPaths = map[string]string{
-	QemuCCWVirtio: defaultQemuPath,
-}
-
 // Verify needed parameters
 var kernelParams = []Param{
 	{"console", "ttysclp0"},
@@ -66,8 +62,8 @@ func newQemuArch(config HypervisorConfig) (qemuArch, error) {
 	q := &qemuS390x{
 		qemuArchBase{
 			qemuMachine:           supportedQemuMachine,
+			qemuExePath:           defaultQemuPath,
 			memoryOffset:          config.MemOffset,
-			qemuPaths:             qemuPaths,
 			kernelParamsNonDebug:  kernelParamsNonDebug,
 			kernelParamsDebug:     kernelParamsDebug,
 			kernelParams:          kernelParams,
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go
index f1fe9924e6..e6c254031a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu_test.go
@@ -346,9 +346,7 @@ func TestQemuQemuPath(t *testing.T) {
 			Type: "pc",
 			Options: "",
 		},
-		qemuPaths: map[string]string{
-			"pc": expectedPath,
-		},
+		qemuExePath: expectedPath,
 	}
 
 	q := &qemu{
@@ -372,13 +370,6 @@ func TestQemuQemuPath(t *testing.T) {
 	path, err = q.qemuPath()
 	assert.NoError(err)
 	assert.Equal(path, expectedPath)
-
-	// bad machine type, arch should fail
-	qkvm.qemuMachine.Type = "rgb"
-	q.arch = qkvm
-	path, err = q.qemuPath()
-	assert.Error(err)
-	assert.Equal(path, "")
 }
 
 func TestHotplugUnsupportedDeviceType(t *testing.T) {